


Christmas with the Cavendishes

by Zhana



Series: Falling in Love [2]
Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: Christmas, F/F, Fluff, Gift Exchange, Ice Skating, More serious than I intended, Secret Santa, but still mostly fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-19 23:36:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13134546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zhana/pseuds/Zhana
Summary: Akko and Diana have been dating for some time, and with Christmas right around the corner, Akko wants to spend their first holiday season as a couple together. Even if that means following Diana home for Christmas.





	Christmas with the Cavendishes

**Author's Note:**

> Writing this was prompted by the LWA Secret Santa on tumblr! It's a gift for @eliln (@eliln_ on Twitter). I hope everyone enjoys it, but them especially! Merry Christmas everyone!

"E~h? You got me a present?!"

Akko looked up from the floor (where she was busy packing her suitcase) to the top bunk of the bed she shared with Lotte. The orange-ish haired girl smiled down at her, nodding before reaching behind her to grab a couple of packages off the shelves above her bed.

"Of course. Why do you sound so surprised?" She asked, fixing her glasses after climbing down from her bed, offering one of the packages out to Akko, "do they not exchange gifts in Japan?"

Akko stood up, dusting off her knees before taking the offered gift, a light blush tinting her cheeks, "uh, kinda? Parents'll give little kids gifts, but besides that it's mostly a thing that l-lovers do."

"Ooooh," Lotte nodded in understanding.

"So it uh... it didn't really occur to me to get either of you anything," she admitted, smiling apologetically, reaching a hand back to rub the back of her head.

"That's okay Akko, I wasn't expecting anything," she reassured her.

"I didn't get either of you anything, if it makes you feel better," Sucy muttered from her desk, her voice further muffled by the gas mask she wore.

"Well, I got all my friends something, you included Sucy," Lotte responded cheerfully. She walked over to the desks lining the wall beneath their window, holding out the second package she'd retrieved from her bed.

Dripping a small sampling of one concoction she was working with into a beaker holding another, Sucy waited for the resultant burst of gas to dissipate around her head before she removed her mask, turning to take the gift. The pale-skinned girl regarded the small, hand-wrapped package for a moment with the single eye visible through the parting of her long pink hair. It darted up to Lotte then back down to the colourful box a couple times, before settling on the glasses-wearing girl.

"Thanks, Lotte," she said, her plain features shifting slightly into a small, genuine smile.

As Sucy set her present down on the desk before returning to her work, Lotte turned back around, finding that Akko had likewise crouched down to resume packing her bag.

"So Akko, what you said before, does that mean you got something for Diana?"

Akko looked up from her task when she heard her name called, grinning widely at the question.

"Of course!" She replied, quickly springing up again, "I got her... the gift of Akko!" The brunette declared happily, spreading her arms out wide.

Sucy turned around to stare at their roommate silently along with Lotte for a moment before speaking up, "I hope that comes with a gift receipt."

Akko slouched forward, instantly deflated by the joke. Her arms hung limply in front of her as she glared at her snarky friend, who just snickered while shooting her a shark-toothed grin.

"I'm sure Diana would love that," Lotte said, giving a strained, awkward smile at her friends' little spat.

"I got her a real gift too," Akko stated with a huff, crossing her arms as she stood up straighter.

"Did you give it to her already?" Lotte asked curiously.

"Nah, I figured I'd give it to her on Christmas Eve."

Lotte and Sucy both blinked, staring at Akko for a moment before glancing at each other, sharing a look before returning their gazes to their roommate.

"Akko... you said you weren't going home until New Years, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Did it not occur to you that Diana might not be sticking around that long too?" Sucy asked dryly.

Akko opened her mouth to reply, her expression shifting to one of apprehension before she even got a word out. Apprehension then turned to panic; immediately she turned on her heel, dipping down to snatch a package resting on the floor by her luggage as she bolted out the door, slamming it shut behind her.

"Guess that answers that," Sucy intoned after a moment of silence, pulling her gas mask back on as she returned to her work.

Lotte could only chuckle weakly, hoping that whatever Akko wound up doing would work out for her.

Christmastime had come to Luna Nova and the school had, surprisingly enough, decorated thoroughly for the season. Every windowsill and stairway railing was lined with festive garlands; wreaths and ribbons strategically placed to maximize the holiday atmosphere. A blanket of white coated the exterior, snowfall faintly visible out the windows in the dim evening light; most of which came from the towering, glowing Christmas tree erected in the center of the school's courtyard.

The lighting in the hallways was a bit dimmer than usual, adding to the cozy intimacy of the decorations lining the windows and stairwells. Students chatted happily about their plans for over the impending school break, groups exchanging greetings and well-wishes as they passed by each other. The girls would even extend such to the Fae workers, the background staff usually ignored by most, as they went about their business.

The peaceful mood that hung over the staff and students that evening was quite abruptly shattered by a chorus of shrieks and shouts to "watch where she was going"! Groups jumped to the side, parting to clear the way for one girl dashing through the halls like Santa's most fervent reindeer. Akko could do little but shout out "Get out of the way!"s and apologies as she sped by; only just barely missing crashing into someone a dangerous number of times. She finally skidded to a stop at an alcove leading down a shorter, doorway-lined hall, catching her breath as she calmly walked to the door at its end.

Reaching a hand up, she knocked on the door twice, dropping her hand to her heaving chest as her breathing steadied. She heard a "coming" called through the door and after a moment of waiting it opened, a surprised-looking raven-haired girl looking out at her.

"Akko?" Barbara tipped her head, teal eyes regarding the girl standing outside her dorm curiously, "what're you doing here?"

"Oh uh... y'know, was just passing by, thought I'd stop in and say 'hi'," she explained, looking a bit too nervous to sell the simple excuse.

"'Just passing by', huh?" Barbara crossed her arms, eyes narrowing on Akko a bit.

"Y-Yeah..." Akko withered slightly under the stare.

"You didn't run here for anything special?"

"Not... really..."

"So you didn't specifically want to see Diana?" She was smirking a little now.

Akko frowned with a huff, "is she here or not?"

Barbara stared her down for a moment longer before her expression warmed to an amused smirk, stepping away to let Akko enter the room. Shutting the door behind her, Barbara returned to the couch, sitting down by Hannah, while Akko walked by their desk just behind it. Rounding the corner of the bookshelf that divided the room, she stepped into Diana's private space, smiling at the sight of her girlfriend seated at her own desk, jotting down notes as she read from a textbook.

"You know, if you wished to see me, you could have simply said so rather than attempting some vague excuse," she pointed out, not lifting her gaze from her notebook.

Akko pouted, puffing out her cheeks as she crossed her arms, "I couldn't help it! I was panicked and a bit out of breath and I just blurted out the first thing that came to me!"

"Out of breath?" Diana set her pen down, turning to look up at Akko with a fond smile, "you weren't running in the halls, were you?"

"Oh, erm, I uh... eheh..." Akko flinched at the accusation, turning her head away nervously.

Diana rested an elbow on her desk, leaning her cheek against her hand as she watched Akko, still smiling fondly. Blinking her eyes, their gaze was drawn to a colourfully wrapped package held in her hand.

"What's that?" She asked, raising her other hand to point at the gift.

Akko returned her gaze to her, quirking a brow curiously as she followed the finger's path, looking down at the present she held. Gasping, the brunette was a flurry of movement for a moment, settling with both her arms held behind her, ostensibly "Hiding" the package from sight.

"What's what? I don't see anything. What are you talking about?" Akko looked away, doing a poor job at an innocent whistle.

Diana blinked again, smiling more wryly as she let out a small laugh, "alright then. To what then do I owe the pleasure, Akko?"

"Huh?"

"Why did you rush over to see me?" She clarified.

"Oh, r-right I uh..." She trailed one hand up along her back, scratching at the back of her head, "I was just curious; what're you doing for Christmas?"

"You wanted to know my plans?" Diana questioned, sounding a bit confused herself.

"Mmm," Akko hummed, nodding in confirmation.

Diana was quiet for a moment, sitting up straight in her chair while eying Akko a tad suspiciously. Had she really ran all the way across the dorms just to ask her about her holiday plans? She was carrying what was obviously a gift that she could only imagine was for her, yet was trying to cover it up rather than present her with it. An odd series of contradictions that piqued her curiosity.

After a moment of prolonged quiet between the two, Diana let out a sigh. Oddness aside, there was certainly no harm in answering the question.

"I'll be returning to my family home at the start of the break. My aunt has traditionally held a party on Christmas Eve, though it's my understanding she's intending to at the very least downsize compared to previous years." Akko listened closely, nodding along as Diana explained her plans, "I'll stay at the manor through New Years, before returning to Luna Nova a few days prior to classes resuming." She concluded, giving a small hum before she spoke again, "and what about you?"

"Hmm? Oh, uh," Akko looked away again, reaching a hand up to scratch at her cheek. "I was gonna just... stick around here until closer to New Years, then go visit my parents, ring in the New Year with them, and come back like, the day before classes start up, I guess."

Diana blinked, cupping her chin thoughtfully at the explanation, "you won't be spending Christmas with your family?"

"N-Nah, it's not that much of a family thing back home..."

"Oh? If not families then whom does Christmas concern where you're from?" Diana asked, sounding genuinely curious.

"Oh y'know, it's mostly a, umm..." Akko trailed off, still looking away, scratching at her now blushing cheek, "couple's thing."

Diana blinked again, dropping her hands into her lap, making a little "oh" at the answer. Now the pieces began to fit together. The reason why Akko had been in such a rush after not asking after her plans previously and why she'd brought her a gift but not simply given it to her to take home. She watched Akko's eyes shift to look down at her, quickly flicking away as her head remained averted; apparently too shy for whatever reason to simply ask for what she wanted outright. She could understand why, it was after all a considerably forward request. But thinking on it, Diana found she certainly wouldn't be opposed. Now the question was, did she let her know that? Or...

"Well, I hope you won't be too lonely here on your own, with me gone?"

"Eh?"

Diana smiled -more of a smirk really- as Akko turned her head to stare down at her, "and I do hope that my aunt didn't invite too many couples to her party. I know I'd be simply consumed by loneliness if I have to watch them flirt under the mistletoe."

Akko was frowning now, her eyes narrowed on the beautiful heiress, "Diana."

"And oh what a lonesome Christmas morn, spent only in the bitter company of my estranged family," she waxed on, bemoaning cruel fate with a dramatic flourish of her arm.

"You're teasing me," Akko said with a huff.

"However shall I cope with the emptiness in my heart over the holidays?" Sarcasm was now fairly evident in her tone as she smiled more playfully up at Akko.

The brunette gave another huff, simmering as she could hear faint snickering from the other side of the bookshelf.

"So can I or not?!" She finally snapped, crossing her arms as she stomped her foot down.

"Can you what?" Diana asked coyly.

"Can I come spend Christmas at your place?!"

Diana moved to stand up, reaching to cup Akko's cheek as she closed the distance between them. Leaning in, she gave her a little peck on the cheek, smiling genuinely now as she pulled back.

"Of course you may," she answered, her hand trailing up, stroking her girlfriend's hair affectionately, "truthfully I would very much welcome your company over the holidays."

"Yay!" Akko cheered, her fuming frustration dissipating in an instant as she threw her arms around Diana's neck, pulling herself in to kiss her lips.

* * *

 

When classes closed out at the end of that week, the majority of the student body gathered at the leyline terminal. Mostly students heading home immediately for the holidays, along with their friends come to say goodbye, exchanging holiday well-wishes before parting for the season; Akko and Diana's group of nine among them.

"I'm gonna miss you lot!" Amanda declared, straddling her broom leisurely with her bags, "it'd be such a bummer if I came back and found out Akko and Diana met Santa Claus at her place or some crazy thing."

"That seems... extremely unlikely," Diana commented, glancing over at Amanda; the smile she'd worn as she exchanged gifts with Hannah and Barbara quickly dropping to a disapproving frown.

Lotte and Jasminka were going around to everyone in their circle, handing them each a gift. Lotte's presents varied wildly in size and shape; each seemingly picked out special for her friends, while Jasminka handed out more uniform baggies; doubtless a tasty care-package.

"Ah, Lotte, I got you something too!" Barbara told her after being handed her gift, reaching into her bag to pass her one in kind.

"O-Oh? Thank you Barbara," Lotte replied, smiling with just a hint of a blush tinting her cheeks as she tucked the present away.

Jasminka likewise paused at Hannah, presenting her with an additional gift besides the baggie of treats. The shape and how the wrapping pushed in on some sides left little doubt that it was a book of some sort.

"Eh? You got me something Jasminka?" Hannah asked, taken by surprise as she looked the mystery book over.

"Mmm. You keep asking about my recipes, I thought you might enjoy this," she replied.

"You got me a cookbook?!" Hannah half-shouted, looking at the wrapped-up book all the more intently now.

Jasminka simply gave a curt little nod, smiling brightly as she moved on to present Diana with her goodie-bag.

While her far larger, friendlier roommate walked around to everyone, Constanze only went up to Akko and Sucy, holding up a gift for each of them.

"Aww, thanks Constanze!" Akko took her gift gleefully, "I'm sorry I didn't get anything for you." She said, smiling down at the smaller girl apologetically.

"Oh, it's that game you were recommending me, thanks Constanze," Sucy said, having already unwrapped her gift.

While she gave Akko an understanding thumbs-up, Constanze's perpetual frown deepened when she saw Sucy already ripping the paper off her gift. Her eyes narrowed, glaring up at the pale-skinned girl, before she turned and stalked away to exchange gifts with Amanda. Sucy didn't pay much mind to the reaction to her opening her gift so early and abruptly, simply tucking it away in her bag.

After exchanging gifts with her roommates, Amanda was the first to depart, waving goodbye to her friends as she floated up and off into the leyline. Other than Hannah and Barbara, the rest of the group departed one by one in short order, and soon it was just Diana and Akko standing at the terminal amidst a few other lingering students. While Akko wore her favorite bulky orange jacket, Diana was dressed in a slimmer-cut blue coat; despite not looking as cozy, it seemed to be doing a fine job at protecting her from the cold.

"Shall we?" Diana asked, straddling her broom.

"Lead the way!" Akko replied with a broad grin as she mounted her own.

Shouting out the _Tia Freyre_ spell together, their brooms slowly floated up in the air. Akko glanced around nervously for a moment, faltering slightly as she rose up in the air; she was unused to carrying a load like the luggage she had hanging off her broom. She soon steadied herself, turning to give a confident nod to Diana, who'd been observing her brief struggle. Nodding back, she pushed forward, flying into the glimmering tunnel of the leyline, Akko gliding along right behind her.

They flew side-by-side, comfortably silent for a time. Eventually though, Diana began to glance over at Akko, seeming to grow increasingly nervous as they travelled.

"Hmm? What's up?" Akko asked, noticing the tentative glances fairly quickly, "I'm not gonna fall, promise! I've totally got it."

"Oh no, no, I know you do Akko, I have the fullest confidence in your ability to fly despite the load," Diana assured her.

"What's wrong then?" She could tell something seemed to be on her girlfriend's mind; she wasn't typically prone to appearing as nervous as she did.

"It's simply, and I'll pray you'll forgive me for this, but," Diana trailed off, eyes shifting uncertainly. She bit her lip briefly, thinking over her words before continuing, "I... haven't actually had the occasion to tell my aunt that we're... involved."

Akko blinked, frowning poutily, trying not to look too offended, "ha~h? How come?"

"As I said, it simply hasn't come up. Have you told your parents?"

Akko's frown lightened, her own expression now matching Diana's nervousness to an extent as she averted her gaze. "Well, yeah, of course I have," her tone was a bit defensive as she let out a worried laugh.

Diana quirked a brow, suspicions raised by the reaction, "oh? Have you? When?"

She noted Akko's posture tensing up, her hands gripping her broom a bit tighter as she took a few moments to answer, still not looking at her.

"In a letter I wrote them... about a week ago..."

"A week."

Akko nodded.

"We've been dating for nearly five months."

Another nod.

"So you're not really in a position to criticize."

"Eheh, guess not," Akko admitted, rubbing the back of her head with a laugh.

Diana felt her mood lightening somewhat, smiling as her unconsciously tensing shoulders relaxed.

"Well, you still told your family before I mine, so I suppose it's your win."

Akko grinned happily, her own posture relaxing as well, "so did you at least tell them I'm coming? Or am I gonna be a Christmas Surprise again?!" She asked, seeming rather pleased with the prospect.

"I sent word ahead that I was bringing... a guest," Diana replied with a faint, sly smile.

"You want to see your aunt's face when she sees me just as bad as I do, don't you?"

Diana gave no answer but continued to smile pleasantly at the thought.

Chatting the time away as they flew, it wasn't long before the aethereal light of the leyline began to peel away, depositing the duo just inside the boundary of the Cavendish Estate. Akko barely took note of how the grounds and surrounding countryside had become an expansive white void, her attention immediately grabbed by a massive spruce tree easily as tall as any of the surrounding buildings, dominating the lead-up to the manor.

"Whoa~! That thing's huge!" Akko declared, awe-struck as she and Diana flew around to the manor, admiring the towering Christmas tree; glimmering with hundreds if not thousands of lights and decorations in the snow-reflected light.

"Yes, it is quite impressive, isn't it?" Diana remarked, sounding just a little disapproving, "Aunt Daryl likes having it out to impress her guests as they arrive."

Rounding the tree, the two spotted a lone figure standing just inside the manor's entrance alcove, safe from the snow, waiting to receive them. Diana raised her arm, receiving a wave back in return as she and Akko landed in the dry entryway.

"Welcome home Young Lady, Merry Christmas," Anna greeted, the older maid bowing forward as Diana dismounted her broom.

"Merry Christmas to you too Anna," Diana replied with a smile, gathering up her things off her broom, "I hope you weren't waiting long for us out in the cold?"

"Not at all. As always the Young Lady's punctuality is flawless. I'd only just stepped outside when you arrived," she assured her. Raising her head from her young mistress, the woman's features hardened, her dull blue eyes focusing on the other half of the 'us' in question, "and hello again, Miss Kagari. I take it that you're the Young Lady's guest; actually invited this time?"

"Eheh, M-Merry Christmas to you too," Akko responded as she dismounted her broom, shrinking back behind Diana to hide from Anna's withering stare.

Anna glared a moment longer, before letting out a soft sigh, "yes, Merry Christmas. I am hopeful that you both shall be able to enjoy your stay here better than last year."

Akko blinked, "uh, yeah. That'd be nice," she said, pleasantly surprised by the warmer reception.

She followed after Diana as Anna opened the door for them, passing from the chill of the frosty outdoors to the warmer interior of the manor. Akko remembered the last time she'd come to the Cavendish Estate, and how starkly decorated the enormous foyer was. It was a powerful contrast to the sight that greeted her as she peeked over Diana's shoulder. Much like at Luna Nova, the railings of the central staircase and surrounding balconies were covered in garlands, wreathes and ribbons evenly placed to bring much-needed splashes of colour to the white walls; striped patterns added to the magic staff motifs normally present making them resemble candy canes. To either side of the grand staircase sat a tall, glittering Christmas Tree; tiny in comparison to the one outside, but still impressive sights to behold. Even the brilliant crystal chandelier that hung over the wide open space was covered in decorations; its light obscured by the coverings, giving the entire space a more warm, homey atmosphere.

"Whoa~" Akko repeated herself, circling slowly, taking it all in as she trailed after Diana, "this is incredible! Like, super Christmas-y!"

"Yes, it seems Aunt Daryl's gone quite all-out again this year," Diana commented. She sounded almost as though she wanted to be upset by it, but found herself charmed by the decor despite herself.

Still, it did seem someone picked up on her tone, "what, you don't like it?" A familiar, haughty voice called from the far side of the room.

Turning her attention to the staircase, Diana saw her aunt slowly descending the steps, flanked by her daughters to either side. Compared to the slicked-back ponytail Akko remembered from a year ago, Daryl had her dulling, greenish-blonde hair down, the style more closely resembling Diana's own. Her daughters still had their hair trimmed short; identical but for being parted in opposite directions, the darker greenish tones more prominent compared to Diana's blonde. Rather than their usual evening dresses, the elder Cavendish wore a rather luxurious looking robe; the deep red colour and gold embroidery absolutely perfect for the season. Of the twins, Meryl wore a similar, though less extravagant robe akin to her mother's, while Maryl was dressed surprisingly casually; a comfortable white long-coat overtop of a button-up blue shirt and matching knee-length skirt.

Diana stared back at her aunt and cousins for a tense moment, her grip tightening on her broom just barely before she replied.

"The decorations are lovely; I was simply under the impression that you were intending to reign in your plans for this year's Christmas Ball?" There was an undercurrent of accusation to her tone, her eyes narrowing on her aunt as she spoke.

"And indeed I am," Daryl scoffed in return, "I've invited only a few closer guests this year, my intent making it a simple, more intimate party," she told Diana. Spreading out her arms, she gestured to the decorations around them, "but I don't see why that means we shouldn't present a suitable atmosphere for them."

Diana seemed somewhat placated by the answer; fewer guests would mean fewer expenses after all. While she mulled this over, Daryl's eyes shifted past her niece, coming to settle on the classmate half-hidden behind her.

"And speaking of guests," she began, crossing her arms as her gaze focused on the brunette, "my my, invited yourself along again, did you?"

Akko stiffened up with a little eep, writhing nervously under Daryl and her daughter's gazes now focused on her.

"Oh, hehe, that's... kinda? I mean, I did actually _ask_ Diana if I could this time," she answered.

"Oh~? Properly invited to Christmas, things must be getting serious between you two," Daryl remarked with a snide chuckle that her daughters echoed mirthfully.

"Eh?! I thought you said you hadn't told them we were dating yet?" Akko exclaimed, turning to her girlfriend in search of an answer.

The silence that followed they could've heard a pin drop from across the mansion. Daryl, Maryl and Meryl's laughter abruptly cut out, mouths frozen mid-laugh, staring down at the two blankly.

Diana slowly reached a hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose with a groan, "she was being facetious," she explained.

"Oh," Akko gave a little nod, turning to meet the three blank stares up on the stairs. A beat later she turned back to Diana, "I don't know what that means."

"A joke, Akko," Diana dropped her hand to her side, exasperated, "she was making a joke."

"Oooooh," Akko leaned away as it clicked that Daryl had been using sarcasm. She again turned to look at the three on the stairs, grinning nervously, "g-good one?"

The twins continued to gape blankly down at the two, but by now Daryl had recovered some semblance of her composure. One of her hands reached up to cup her chin, fingers obscuring her mouth as she narrowed her eyes at the young couple, her other hand reaching across her body to hold her elbow.

"So you've actually chosen to court this..." She paused briefly, seemingly searching for an appropriate appellation, settling on, "girl?"

Akko swallowed heavily under the intense stare; steeling her resolve, she stepped forward to speak up. Just as she opened her mouth though, she felt Diana's free hand grasp her own, giving her a reassuring squeeze as she stepped in front of her protectively. Not that she could see, but the action brought a blush to Akko's cheeks; making her fondly remember when she'd similarly jumped to her defense a year past.

"That is correct," Diana stated firmly, looking up into her aunt's narrowed gaze resolutely, "Akko and I are involved with one another. Is that going to be a problem?" She asked. Demanded, more like; her tone daring Daryl to take issue with their relationship.

The previously comical silence turned tense as aunt and niece had their stand-off. Diana had prepared herself for this day. For every awful thing her aunt could say about her girlfriend; every disparaging comment or critique on her worth as a partner. She'd imagined herself deflecting every ignorant word she could say, refined every word of praise she had for Akko to counter them. She'd dreamed of this day, standing up to the woman who had trampled over her aspirations until only just the previous year in defense of something she truly desired.

"...not at all," Daryl finally answered her, closing her eyes dismissively.

Diana blinked, her stiff, defensive posture deflating in an instant, "excuse me?" Now it was her turn to gape, the big moment she'd fantasized about abruptly dismissed.

"Wait, seriously?!" Akko perked up at her side, echoing her surprise.

Daryl dropped her hand from her mouth, revealing an all-too-smug smirk as she again crossed her arms under her chest, "I don't see why it should be an issue. I'd suggest separate rooms, but knowing that one," one of her hands shifted to point at Akko, "she'd just sneak out in the middle of the night. Again." Akko could do little but chuckle, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly while Daryl continued, "though it would be of great relief to my peace of mind if you could at least refrain from getting too... affectionate with one another, for the duration of your stay."

Diana wasn't sure if her aunt was being serious or not, but what she did know was she hated the bemused laugh she gave seeing the two students flush at her "request". Try as she might to restrain herself as she usually did, the combination of embarrassment at the teasing and anger at having her fantasies dashed left her quietly fuming. Her aunt clearly revelling in the sight just made it worse.

"Dinner is at six, please make yourselves at home in the meanwhile," Daryl told them, turning to ascend back upstairs.

Meryl followed after her mother shortly; sparing another utterly uncomprehending glance at her cousin and her girlfriend before proceeding after her. Maryl likewise still seemed quite shocked, but moved to descend the rest of the stairs, eying the couple as she walked by them on her way to the door, exiting the manor.

"Where's she going?" Akko asked, turning to watch her leave.

"Practice," Anna answered, stepping forward after having remained quiet throughout the exchange with Daryl.

"Practice?" Diana echoed, looking to Anna questioningly.

"Indeed," Anna nodded her head, "since your actions last year, Mistress Daryl and her daughters have made an effort to become more outgoing and self-sufficient," she explained. "Lady Maryl in-particular has taken up volunteering and practicing with a figure skating team in the nearby city."

"Wow, that's actually pretty cool! I've never even been skating bef-" Akko began, cutting herself off as she realized something about what Anna had said, "wait, since last year?"

"That is correct."

"So like, not long after we were here last?"

"Indeed?" Anna quirked a brow, seemingly perplexed by what the brunette was getting at, "I believe she first began her work with them in February."

"February huh?" Akko turned to look at Diana, who herself was looking away from her, hiding her nervous features, "so why didn't you know about it then?"

Diana was quiet for a moment before answering, "as I told you earlier, I've not had the occasion to talk with my family recently."

"You mean you didn't even come home for summer break?!" Akko exclaimed, horrified, "what did you do, get permission to stay at school and study the whole time?!" Diana's subsequent silence was the only answer she needed, "if you'd told me I would've stayed and kept you company!"

"While I appreciate the thought Akko, you seemed quite excited to visit your parents over the break. I'd have been loath to deprive you of that," she explained, turning to face her now.

Akko crossed her arms, stomping her foot in a huff, "geez, is there anything you love more than studying?!"

Diana simply leaned in, planting a gentle little peck on Akko's cheek. Her face immediately lit up, burning red as the blonde leaned away. Reaching to grab her bags, she turned to depart down the hall to her bedroom. It took Akko a moment to recover, quickly grabbing her things, hurrying after her.

"T-That's not fair!" She called, catching up to her, "I mean I totally walked right into it, but still! Not fair!"

Diana just smiled warmly to herself as they walked down the hall, Anna trailing after just behind the two.

"So... where am I gonna sleep?" Akko asked after a moment of walking in silence.

"As Aunt Daryl said, my room should be fine," Diana answered nonchalantly.

Akko couldn't match her composure, her face rapidly burning up again, "s-seriously?!"

"It's not as if sharing a bed would be anything new for us, no?" She teased, greatly enjoying Akko's flustered state; inwardly quite pleased with herself that she was again managing to maintain her composure expertly.

"Ahem," a cough from behind them reminded her of Anna's presence; her brief swell of pride cut short as Diana's face quickly warmed to match Akko's. "Perhaps it is not my place to say, but I would echo Mistress Daryl's comments against any... funny business."

"O-Of course Anna," Diana spoke tensely, unable to keep up her teasing facade, "I can assure you nothing untoward will happen during our stay." Akko simply nodded her head rapidly in agreement.

"Very good," the older woman concluded as they arrived outside of Diana's room, "is there anything else you would like me to attend to prior to dinner, Young Lady?"

"A couple things, yes. First of all," Diana set her bags down, reaching into a pocket on her luggage, pulling out a small stack of envelopes. "For the staff," she said, handing the stack off to Anna.

"I shall see that they are distributed promptly."

"No opening before Christmas," Diana joked with a smile, earning one in kind from her life-long maid. "Now besides that, there were a couple matters I was hoping you could see to for me-" She stopped herself, turning to look at Akko standing quietly outside the bedroom door with her things, "ah, please go ahead and start unpacking Akko, I'll just be a moment."

"Kaaaay?" Akko quirked a brow, curious at why Diana seemed to be ushering her out of the hall.

Opening the door, she hauled her luggage inside, turning back around when she heard the door being closed behind her; just barely catching the sight of Diana closing it. Her eyes narrowed with further suspicion, and she carefully set her things down, sneaking back over to the door. Cupping a hand over her ear, she leaned against the wood, trying to listen in on whatever Diana and Anna were talking about. She gave up after a couple seconds of little but silence.

Unable to eavesdrop, Akko was left to look around Diana's (and for the next week or so, her) bedroom. She vaguely recalled thinking that the room was about what she'd expected of Diana when she'd first visited a year ago. She also recalled reacting with disbelief when Anna had first talked to her about Diana's kind-hearted nature; something which she now knew quite well. Having grown closer to her over the course of the last year, she now found herself thinking that Diana's bedroom was actually rather... sparse. Almost depressing really.

It was a nice room to be certain; pristine white stone walls with golden leaf patterns moulded around the walls, a comforting dark gold ceiling, and a magnificent fireplace situated against one wall. But in terms of decor, the room was somewhat lacking. There was Diana's four-poster bed set over in the corner by the window; its curtains were drawn back towards the headboard, a couple of tall, fully-stocked bookshelves set into the corner between the window and the fireplace opposite the bed. There was the vanity beside the bed, an alcove sunken into the wall beside it containing Diana's desk, a lamp in the corner beside that, another smaller bookshelf, and then the door where Akko stood. Glancing to her right, there was a lone wardrobe and finally a couple chairs between it and the fireplace. The only other furnishings were the carpet covering the mostly-tile flooring, a couple candlesticks on the fireplace mantle, and a few paintings hung here and there; all impersonal still-lifes of flowers or some nondescript landscape. All the furnishings were placed up against the walls, leaving the majority of the fairly large room just wide, empty space.

It all seemed rather cold. Too cold for the girl she'd come to love. Sliding her luggage over to rest by the wardrobe, Akko crossed the room, turning when she reached the bed, promptly flopping back onto it; it was a comfortable mattress, though a little stiff in her opinion. Letting out a deep sigh, Akko glanced around again at her surroundings in the mostly-empty room, settling on the bed's curtains. They were kind of an orangey gold colour, matching the blanket that she was laying across. It was a rather drab choice of bed spread in her opinion; the thought crossing her mind as to whether or not Diana might be open to changing them. Was that presumptuous? She thought, kicking her legs absentmindedly over the edge of the bed. Never hurt to ask at least. Throw a suggestion out there.

Akko didn't bother to lift her head when she heard the door open and click shut again.

"You ever think about redecorating?" She asked, staring at the ceiling as she lay across the bed.

Diana blinked as she shut the door behind her, raising an eyebrow at the sudden question her entrance was met with.

"No, I haven't put much thought into such a thing," she answered, crossing the room to stand over Akko, "why do you ask?"

Akko raised her head a bit to look up into Diana's eyes, "well just, and no offense but, your room is kind of boring."

Diana blinked, lifting her head to glance around her bedroom appraisingly. She turned slowly, taking the whole space in, humming quietly as she did, "I... suppose you may have a point there." She turned back to look down at Akko, "I'm not really sure it matters. I haven't even slept here in the past year..."

Akko sat up, gazing up at Diana with a frown on her face, "that's kinda sad, isn't it? I know Luna Nova's great and all, but you can't stay there forever."

Diana let out a sigh, her gaze drifting upwards at the ceiling. She knew Akko was right; smiling a little at the thought of the comparative maturity she was showing regarding her own aversion to returning home. She'd thought about her future at great length of course, but somehow she'd never given much to _where_ she would accomplish the task of rebuilding the Cavendish Family's reputation from. She imagined her dream would involve a fair deal of travel, but having a true home to return to would be nice; where else could that be but the Cavendish's traditional homestead? As much as she had avoided her family the past couple years, it wasn't as if she desired that aversion to become a long-standing norm.

Giving another sigh, Diana lowered her head, finding Akko staring up worriedly at her.

"Did you have any suggestions?" She asked with a wry smile.

Akko's leaned back, reaching out to grasp the dull orange curtains hanging around the bed, "a nicer bedspread for starters? These are so drab!" She told her, her expression brightening.

Diana glanced over the bed with a thoughtful hum, nodding her head, "did you have an alternative in mind?"

"Iunno," Akko answered with a shrug, "maybe a nice blue or something white and fluffy!"

Diana crossed her arms, "hmm, maybe," she remarked with a small chuckle.

"Oh oh, what about like, a star-pattern on the covering!" Akko exclaimed, flopping onto her back again, gesturing up at the panel supported over the bed.

"Oh? Falling asleep under the stars every night... that does sound rather nice," Diana commented, moving to sit on the edge of the bed beside her girlfriend.

"Right?!" Akko sat up again, beaming at Diana. Turning, she gave the room another once-over, humming in thought, "maybe some comfier chairs to sit by the fire? And what about some different pictures? Ones that really scream 'Diana'!"

"Oh? You don't approve my choices in wall art?"

" _Are_ they your choices?" Akko asked with a questioning frown.

Diana remained straight-faced for a few moments, before breaking out in a smile, letting out a small laugh. "No, they've just always been there, and I honestly never cared enough to remove or replace them," she explained, glancing at the few pictures of fruit or mountains hanging around the room.

"Well, what kinda art would you want?"

Diana thought it over for a moment, "some more artistic landscapes could be nice. I'm also rather fond of artistic representations of magical creatures."

"Like unicorns?" Akko teased, earning a small chuckle from Diana.

"Yes, like unicorns," she agreed with a nod, humming as she thought out more possibilities. "I... do rather like that Shiny Chariot poster you have hanging in your dormitory back at Luna Nova," she admitted, "that might look nice."

"E~h?" Akko groaned, eyes narrowing as she leaned in closer, "that's my poster! And it's gonna come home with me!"

Diana let out another soft laugh at Akko's (presumably) mock offense, "of course, I would never presume to take it away from you." She assured her, "simply that perhaps someday this could be your ho-"

She stopped talking abruptly, slowly turning to meet Akko's eyes. The brunette had quickly leaned away, narrowed eyes shot wide open, her face rapidly heating up; Diana's quickly darkening to match.

"I-I apologize, that was quite... quite forward of me," she said, turning away from Akko's shocked gaze.

"Ah, no-no worries... I uh, I was getting kinda carried away with all my suggestions," Akko stammered out. She turned away herself, scratching at her cheek nervously while looking up at nothing-in-particular, "not really my place to talk about how you should decorate."

Diana looked back at her, sighing gently as she reached out to take Akko's hand in her own, "don't be ridiculous." She told her, leaning in to peck her lips when she turned to look at her again, "I did ask, after all."

"Right," Akko mumbled, blushing more out of shyness from the soft kiss than embarrassment now.

"And," she briefly bit her lip uncertainly, "I would like to feel more comfortable here... and for you to as well."

"Diana..." She said her name with an almost awed hush, "do you... really think about that kinda stuff?"

"Sometimes," she admitted, blushing bashfully, "I hope you don't think that improper of me?"

"You? Improper? N-Nah, definitely not," Akko assured her, sounding a bit uncertain, again turning her head away.

"I apologize again, if I've made you... uncomfortable."

Akko looked back to her, finding Diana looking down at the floor. Leaning in, she wrapped her arms around the heiress, pulling herself in for a hug. When Diana turned to face her, feeling her arms wrapping around her, she pressed in closer still, kissing her lips affectionately.

"Silly me, thinking the great Diana hadn't been thinking about the future," she said with a slightly self-depreciating laugh. Raising her head, she glanced over Diana's shoulder thoughtfully, "hmm... that poster might look pretty good hanging over the fireplace."

Diana laughed now, wrapping her arms around Akko's waist. Leaning back, she pulled Akko on top of her, gazing up at her lovingly, "you know, if your 'magical performer spreading joy and belief to the world' plan falls through, you might make a splendid interior decorator."

Akko snorted comically, planting a little kiss on her nose, "and when did the world's greatest magical healer decide to become a comedian, huh?"

The two laughed together, Diana's arms wrapping tighter around Akko's waist as she cozied up on top of her. The two enjoyed the moment in each other's embrace, until the sound of their giggling was abruptly cut through by the sound of a gruff cough from the other side of the room. Somehow within an instant, Akko had gone from cuddled up on top of Diana to sitting stiffly on her feet down on the floor, back straight and hands on her legs.

The display of stony discipline didn't seem to impress Anna in the slightest as she stood at the door, hands crossed in front of her while she glared at the Japanese girl. Diana sat up on the bed much slower with a sigh, flush with embarrassment, managing to smile faintly at her maid while tucking a strand of blonde-green hair behind her ear.

"Hello Anna. We... we must not have heard you knock."

Anna inhaled deeply, turning her steely glare away from Akko, her expression softening if only slightly on Diana, "indeed. I should hope that my prior indications were not being ignored?"

"I-I assure you that we were not doing anything untoward," Diana said, flushing deeper with embarrassment, "we were simply... c-cuddling..."

"Of course," whether Anna considered this above-board or not, nothing in her tone nor mannerisms gave it away. "I had come to inform you that the preparations have been completed as you requested Young Lady."

"Thank you Anna, we'll make our way to the mudroom shortly," Diana replied, calming her demeanor as she stood up from the bed.

"Very good," Anna bowed slightly forward, taking her leave.

"Eh? Preparations? Mudroom?" Akko echoed, popping up off the floor, following Diana to the door.

"Yes. I didn't think you'd want to stay cooped up inside for your entire stay, after all," Diana told her with a playful little grin.

* * *

 

A few short minutes later, Akko was shakily standing up off the ledge of the berth under the Cavendish manor, sliding out onto the frozen moat that ringed the grounds on a pair of skates she'd been fitted with. She flailed her arms around to try and keep balanced as she slowly moved across the ice, tipping back and forth, struggling not to fall.

"Easy Akko, easy," Diana called out to her, kicking off from the edge herself, skillfully gliding over the ice, turning and stopping just in front of the struggling beginner.

"I got this, don't worry, I got it," Akko muttered between uncertain 'ah's and 'whoa's. She kept tipping back and forth, her upper body swinging wildly further each time.

Diana reached out, grabbing her girlfriend's flailing arms, holding her steady before her legs had the chance to fly up from under her. Akko leaned into her for support, glancing around nervously as she got used to the feeling of sliding around on the ice.

"Doing alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, totally... I think I'm getting the hang of this."

"I'm glad. I was worried you might not get any enjoyment out of this, but you seemed interested hearing about Maryl's plans, and since you said you'd never gone skating before..."

"M-Make sense," Akko responded shakily, clutching Diana's hands for dear life as she explained her thinking.

"...we can stop, if you're having too much trouble."

"No way!" Akko shot back defiantly even as she kept hanging off Diana almost helplessly, "I wanna try racing you or somethin'!"

"First things first, you might want to start with actually skating by yourself before attempting a race," Diana replied with a giggle. Releasing one of Akko's hands, Diana spun to face forward, keeping a firm grasp on the other, "follow my lead."

At first, Akko just did her best to remain upright, letting Diana pull her along like a weight, clinging to her arm. Gradually she grew used to standing up on the skates, beginning to pay more attention to Diana's form, slowly beginning to mimic the motions of pushing off against the ice. Glancing back at her as she felt the hold on her arm relax, Diana smiled to herself when she saw Akko's expression, ecstatic at learning to skate properly.

"This is pretty fun!" She declared, beaming as she skated along beside Diana, holding her hand comfortably rather than dependently.

The two skated around the frozen moat hand-in-hand, Akko becoming more and more confident in herself with each passing moment as they talked and laughed together. The setting sun lit the white ice and snow a warm orange, the glittering lights of the decorations on the grounds above becoming brighter in the dimming light.

"So, how about that race?!" Akko asked before it grew too dark and they had to go in.

"Are you certain that's wise? You've taken to it quite quickly, but you are still a beginner," Diana cautioned.

"You worry too much!" Despite her assurance, Diana didn't seem convinced; especially when she kept sliding forward, having to be pulled back when the more experienced skater skidded to a halt.

Akko could see the apprehension on her girlfriend's face and responded with her own determined pout. Finally Diana let out a sigh, unable to resist the puppy-dog-eyes pleading with her to accept the challenge.

"Very well, a short race before we head in for the night," she acquiesced, releasing Akko's hand.

"Yay!" She shouted, throwing her arms up into the air happily.

Diana glanced around the moat in the fading light, eventually spotting a tree jutting out of the snow on the shore a short distance away.

"First to pass that tree," she said, pointing it out to Akko.

"Gotcha," Akko nodded, turning to face that general direction alongside Diana, "on your mark, get set, go!"

Diana had little time to prepare before Akko kicked off, rushing towards their indicated finish line. Well, for a given definition of "rushing". Her small head start was short-lived, as while she did seem vastly more comfortable on the ice already, all she was used to was leisurely meandering about holding hands with her girlfriend. And so Diana caught up and passed her in just a few longer strides, even keeping the same leisurely pace.

Gaping in surprise as she was quickly caught up to and passed, Akko growled when she saw the lovely blonde shoot a teasing little smirk back at her. Noting the way she extended her legs, Akko quickly adjusted to imitate her, building up more speed to keep up with her. Despite her best efforts though, quite inevitably, Diana slid by the tree first, skidding to a halt once more.

Then watched as Akko rushed by her, no longer actively skating, but helplessly carried forward by her momentum. Right, she'd never told her how to stop; she knew something had slipped her mind.

"Diana!" She cried out as she slid right past the victor of their little race, not stopping until she'd crashed into the snowy shore.

Diana had quickly started after her again when she'd noticed the obvious failing of her instruction, coming to a stop as Akko rolled over to sit up in the snow. She shook her head to throw off the snow clinging to her hair, pouting up at her girlfriend when she heard her giggling at the accident.

"Well, you've had your race, shall we head back in?" Diana asked, quieting her laughter, shooting Akko a playful smile over her shoulder as she turned around to return to the berth.

Not a moment after she'd looked away from the girl in the snow, her entire form jerked forward, flinching in reaction to a sudden burst of cold on the back of her head. She slowly looked back at Akko, still sitting in the snow, one hand covering her mouth as she snickered.

"Did you just...?" She asked, aghast at the unexpected assault.

"Ma~ybe?" Akko answered, grinning with faux-innocence. She blinked, her grin vanishing as she watched her girlfriend retrieve her wand from inside her coat, "uh, Diana...?"

She looked on worriedly as the blonde extended and waved her wand, emanating with a green glow that Akko caught being reflected just behind her. She heard the snow shift and shuffle, slowly looking up as a shadow slid over her, seeing a glowing green mass of snow levitating just above her.

"I'm sorry?" She pleaded weakly, looking back at the victim of her snowball, seeing her smile kindly before she was buried in fluffy cold.

Diana gave a little nod at the limbs flailing about in the snow, smiling and humming to herself as she turned and skated back to the manor, brushing the snow from her hair as she went. Akko eventually freed herself from the snow, catching up to Diana in the underground berth; she had stayed to ensure that Akko could stop and get back on solid ground safely this time. All the while as they returned their skates and headed back to the heiress' bedroom, Akko shot her dirty looks as she clutched her arms, shuddering from the chill her dunk in the snow had given her.

Arriving back in her bedroom, Diana wasted no time in pulling a couple of spare blankets from her wardrobe while Akko looked on curiously. Setting one down over the cobblestone flooring in front of her fireplace, she flicked her wand to conjure a roaring fire within it. Wrapping the other blanket she'd grabbed around her body as the warmth of the flames washed over her, she lifted one side up, gesturing for Akko to join her. Despite her apparent annoyance, Akko didn't need any further invitation and had latched herself onto Diana's side in an instant.

Chuckling warmly, Diana lowered her arm, wrapping it around Akko's shoulders, hugging her close as she closed the blanket around them both. She soon felt her shuddering still, the chill that had worked its way through her body washed away by the toasty fire and loving embrace. She sighed contentedly, squeezing her arms tighter around Diana's waist, resting her head on her shoulder; Diana tipping hers to rest on top of her in kind. The two sat in silence, cozied up in the blankets, staring into the fire peacefully.

"Young Lady, Miss Kagari, dinner is ready."

They weren't sure how long they'd sat and cuddled by the fire, but they were eventually stirred from their reverie by a knock at the door; Anna's voice summoning them for dinner. Pulling themselves apart begrudgingly, they met the maid out in the hall, following her to the dining room.

For as much fun as she'd been having with Diana going skating, Akko was quickly reminded of her previous visit to the Cavendish household as they sat down for dinner. The air felt similarly tense as she could recall from last year, though at least Andrew and his dad weren't here being goaded into buying priceless family artifacts, so that was a plus. She still couldn't help feeling out of place, Diana's posture immediately stiffening to match her aunt and cousin's as they all sat down for dinner; Maryl having returned, donning a festive robe similar to her mother and sister's.

Tense atmosphere aside, Akko was at least pleased by another mouth-watering steak dinner laid out before her, alongside plenty of tasty dinner buns! As she had a year past, she at first at least attempted to keep up with the stiff, upper-class posturing as the group ate. And promptly gave up when she found herself struggling to cut into the hearty steak presented to her. Glancing to her side as she crammed her fourth bun into her mouth, she winced under Diana's disapproving gaze; blushing bashfully as she caught a hint of affection in her stare, a slight upward twitch of her lips at her guest's antics. Her family meanwhile seemed to be doing their best to ignore her, and her severely lacking manners.

Whether she caught onto this or not, Akko found that she didn't much care for the prolonged silence at the dinner table, and so sought to strike up a conversation.

"So... do you eat steaks like these all the time?" She asked, laughing warmly as she savoured a bite, "it's just as good as I remember from before, but wouldn't you get sick of it every day?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Daryl stated briskly, not even looking at her as she cut into her own steak neatly. "It's pure coincidence that we're serving much the same dinner as when you were last here."

"E-Eheh, of course," Akko mumbled, shrinking back in her seat. Glancing around the table, her eyes settled on Maryl after a moment, "so uh, how was practice?"

Maryl twitched, glancing up from her dinner across the table at Akko, looking rather surprised at the address. You could blink and miss it, but she briefly glanced at her mother uncertainly; the woman simply shooting her daughter an equally quick look out the corner of one eye.

"...it was fine, thank you for asking," she answered after a moment before returning to her meal.

Akko though was not one to be discouraged in her attempts at livening up the dinner, "Diana actually took me out skating earlier."

Maryl twitched again, looking back up at Akko, "oh?"

"Mhmm!" Akko nodded, grinning happily, "I'd never gotten to before."

"...did you enjoy yourself?" She asked, seeming interested, if only a little bit.

"Yeah! Well, once Diana helped me figure out the basics anyway," she explained with a laugh.

"And then you tried too hard and wound up stuck in a snowbank," Diana cut in, wearing a small smirk on her lips.

"He~y," Akko frowned, looking to her girlfriend accusingly, "I only fell in. Someone _else_ buried me in the snow."

"Oh? Trouble in paradise?" Meryl spoke up, teasingly questioning the two, "you know when all of us were first learning to skate Diana landed in the snow more than a few times herself."

Diana blushed at the reminder, while Akko's expression brightened with amusement, "rea~lly? Hah, I'd have loved to have seen that!"

"Oh I'm sure we have some old photo albums lying around somewhere," Meryl mused.

"You know I'm not sure you're one to talk Meryl. You _still_ fall in the snow when you come skating with me," Maryl taunted her twin.

Daryl remained quiet as she ate even as the table grew more animated, not offering anything to the conversation and those that followed, but neither did she try and stop the chatter. When Diana chanced a look at her silent aunt, she swore she saw a small smile gracing her lips.

Once dinner had wound down, Daryl excused herself from the table as the servants cleared away the dishes. Following her aunt with her eyes, Diana leaned over to give her girlfriend a peck on the cheek, whispering that she had something to attend to and would meet her back in her room shortly. Leaving the table, she tailed after her aunt quietly. Of course, hardly one to listen to such requests, Akko silently followed just behind her girlfriend.

Wandering the halls, Daryl eventually exited the manor out a side door, walking out onto the parapet around the back corner, overlooking the lake and Philosopher's Stone Shrine. A gazebo had been erected at some point in the year covering the small stone circle, leaving it clear of snow. Walking up to the edge, Daryl leaned against the cool stone, gazing out at the unicorn statue far out on the lake, and the glimmering stone rotating as its horn.

"If you have something to say to me, you could say it instead of skulking about like that," she spoke up suddenly.

Stepping out from the shadow cast by the awning into the light of the moon, Diana quietly approached her aunt, coming to stand just behind her.

"Well? What is it?" Daryl asked, turning to face her niece.

Diana was quiet for a long moment, contemplating what to say before she began speaking, "why are you being so... considerate?"

"Have I been so inconsiderate previously?" She scoffed in response.

"You tried to have Akko kicked out almost the second she stepped through the door last year," Diana said, frowning at her aunt's dismissive tone.

"Yes, and? She was uninvited; I don't recall you welcoming her particularly warmly either."

"The first thing you asked about was her heritage, and then you wanted to kick her out when you found she didn't _have_ any. Now you find out we're dating and you don't even bat an eyelash? You don't mind when she engages your daughters over dinner? You actually seemed _happy_ to have her do so?"

"My my, isn't she _your_ girlfriend? Do you harbour such thoughts about her heritage? Her fitfulness? Her worth?"

"Of course not!" Diana snapped harshly at the accusations.

"Then I don't see why I should when the great Diana, future and true head of House Cavendish, doesn't," Daryl stated, turning her back on Diana, again gazing out over the half-frozen lake.

Calming herself, Diana walked up to stand beside her aunt; looking first out at the shrine with her, then up to her uncertainly.

"I know you've formed this image of me as the 'Good-for-Nothing-Evil-Aunt'," Daryl said, not bothering to look away from the glowing stone out over the water. She let out a rather weary sigh, "and I can't say I don't exactly deserve it."

She looked down at Diana now, regarding the girl for a moment before again averting her gaze, "six years ago, you lost your mother. And I lost my sister," Diana tried not to show how surprised she was, hearing her aunt opening up to her. "We might not have had the perfect relationship; on some level I resented her. The idea of my becoming family head was never even considered. How could it be? Bernadette was always better than me, whether it be in magic or even handling social obligations. I grew used to it. Used to being able to simply revel in the family fortune while all obligations were hoisted upon her shoulders."

The woman's shoulders heaved with a heavy sigh, one hand rising to rub at her eyes tiredly, "perhaps that's why when she passed, I couldn't bring myself to even try to measure up. I took comfort in what I was used to, gave up on even attempting to fill the void she left. By the time I cared to notice how bad things had gotten, it didn't even seem worth it to try anymore." Taking in a deep breath, she looked down at her niece, staring calmly into her matching blue eyes, "and of course, I didn't pay the slightest regard to the only person left more lost than I was."

"Aunt Daryl..."

Daryl shook her head, raising a hand before Diana could speak another word, "I forced you to grow up and keep yourself together when I barely could. How much you grew to resemble her as you grew up certainly didn't help my feelings towards you; I came to resent you much as I did her, and took greater comfort seeing you struggle to live up to her. I'll not ask for your forgiveness, but all the same I will say that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for leaving you to yourself when you needed someone's help," she heaved out another sigh, "perhaps we both did." She muttered with a shake of her head, "as to your original question; why I'm being so 'considerate' now? I think it's the least I owe you."

"I see..." Diana murmured, nodding her head slowly.

There was a silence between the two for a good while, both Cavendish women staring at out their family's shrine, admiring the way the light of the Philosopher's Stone reflected off the loose chunks of ice swirling around it. Diana found it comforting, to have her aunt open up to her. To hear her talk about her mother, her, why she felt and acted ill-suited to heading the family. Perhaps it had come too late, but it seemed like good ground for them to get better in the future. It was a nice feeling to have so close to Christmas.

"I was thinking of emptying out your mother's old bedroom."

And there's the familiar white-hot rage of indignation that Diana was more familiar with feeling around her aunt.

"What?!" Diana turned to look up at her, only just managing to stop herself from outright screaming in Daryl's face, "you want to- why would you- you think I'd just let you- why?!"

"Touchy subject, I figured," her aunt mused humorlessly. Giving a soft sigh, she glanced down at her out the corner of her eye, "it has been over six years, it's about time that we clean her old room out."

"But you can't just-! Is this why you were trying to appear kinder?! Hope that I would just stand aside and let you take over my mother's-"

"It is, after all, only right that the Head of the House should make use of the Master Suite."

Diana's anger faltered slightly, "sorry?"

"And as the rightful Head will be taking her place sooner than later, it seems only right that the room be prepared for her use." She stated, again looking away from her slowly calming niece, "do you think your mother would have wanted you to live in your childhood bedroom your entire life? And before you throw more accusations at me, I won't be attempting to sell anything. We'll simply put the unused furnishings in storage, nothing more."

Diana calmed further at the explanation. She wanted to remain angry, furious at the thought of disturbing the space she'd spent so much time with her mother. Yet the dominantly logical side of her couldn't refute the reasonable points made; both of her plan and the further elaborations to placate her.

"...I won't even be graduating for another two years," was the only complaint she could find herself offering up.

"All the better to be ready then," Daryl replied, "besides, your current room hardly seems large enough for two."

That triggered her indignation again, Diana's face burning up anew; though not with anger now, "j-just what are you implying?!"

Daryl just laughed, turning to walk away from the parapet, back towards the door inside, stopping when Diana called out to her.

"Wait! There was... one other thing..."

"Hmm?" Daryl glanced back over her shoulder.

"When we first arrived, you... you seemed more surprised by the abruptness with which Akko announced our involvement than the news itself."

Daryl blinked, a smile slowly growing on her lips, "was I meant to be surprised? To be quite honest, it wasn't at all."

"Eh?" Diana's cheeks flushed darker at her words, "h-how do you mean?"

"I might be a Good-for-Nothing-Evil-Aunt, but your aunt I am still. Even a year ago, you seemed much happier with her around," Daryl explained with a chuckle, turning to resume her walk to the door, "and that whole display saving the world certainly helped."

Diana just blushed harder as Daryl walked away back inside. She swore, one of these days, she was going to kill Croix Meridies. Sighing to herself, she took one last look out over the lake at the shrine where she'd failed the Succession Ritual the year before. Gazing at it for a quiet moment, she then turned to head inside herself.

"Come along Akko, we'll catch the cold if we're out much longer."

"R-Right!" A little mouse called, climbing up from the lower ledge of the parapet, scrambling across the ramparts to jump onto Diana's shoulder.

* * *

 

The dawn of Christmas Eve, Akko groaned softly as she awoke in an unfamiliar bed. Blinking her eyes open slowly, the sight of a beautiful, perfectly sculpted face framed by two-tone blonde hair greeted her. She felt her cheeks warm, a smile slowly stretching across her face as she drank in Diana's face, still sleeping peacefully. Oh yes, she could certainly get used to starting her mornings off like this, she thought as she moved in to peck her girlfriend's nose softly.

The day passed by rather quickly leading up to the Cavendish's Christmas Ball. Breakfast had been pleasant enough, and Diana had taken Akko out to practice skating more afterwards. But she insisted on spending most of the day helping the staff with some final preparations for the party. As the sun began to set, prior to the guests arriving, Akko found herself once more being tended to by Anna.

"I can brush my own hair you know!"

"Clearly not, or it wouldn't be such a tangle in the first place," the aged maid remarked, ignoring the girl's wincing as she worked out the knots in her brown hair.

Sighing in resignation, Akko took a look at herself in the mirror as Anna did her hair. She had been given another of Diana's hand-me-downs for the party; a similar pink gown to the dress she'd worn previously, though fancier. It reminded her a bit of the Cinderella Dress she'd gotten conjured onto herself for the Hanbridge Ball, but similarly less extravagant. A nice middle-ground between the two, she concluded. She'd also quite explicitly asked that they _not_ tell her when Diana had originally worn this one.

When the guests arrived and the party began, Akko looked around for Diana, not having seen her since they split up to get ready. Wandering amidst the crowd, she was totally lost, not a familiar face in sight. A few of the guests mingling about seemed to recognize her though; the magically-inclined among the party-goers praising her actions in reviving Yggdrasil. She shook a few hands, thanked them for their praise, humbling assured them it was her pleasure, and so forth.

She wove among the party like that until she finally bumped into a familiar face. Literally.

"Would you be more careful? I almost spilt my dri-Akko?" Andrew Hanbridge blinked, looking surprised at the girl in pink who'd bumped into his back.

Okay, not Diana, but a familiar face at least.

"Oh, hey Andrew! Fancy bumpin' into you here," Akko greeted cheerily.

"Indeed," he replied, his annoyance clearing up into returning her smile, "...you didn't invite yourself again, did you?"

"I asked this time!" She shot back defensively.

"Well, that's something at least," he laughed in response. "I'm rather surprised Diana agreed all the same though."

"I mean, we are dating, after all," Akko said with a nonchalance that surprised even her. Surprise, she noted, that was now written all over Andrew's face, "did I uh... did I not get around to telling you that yet?"

He shook his head no.

"Eheh, s-sorry, guess we haven't spoken in a while," she remarked, rubbing the back of her head, "so uh, how've you been?"

"Really?"

"Well, clearly we need to catch up!"

"I suppose so," he agreed with a wry smile. Shaking his head and chuckling, he lifted his glass to take a sip of his drink, "I am quite surprised at your news though; I'd have never guessed."

"Oh c'mon, it's not... _that_ unlikely," Akko muttered, puffing out her cheeks, sounding more like she was trying to convince herself than him.

"Perhaps not," Andrew replied with another chuckle, "but I meant more Diana dating someone at all than you specifically."

"Eh? What's that supposed to mean? Diana's great! She's cute, smart, talented, has a huge heart, is always there for you, she even taught me to skate yesterday! Anyone would be lucky to have her!" Akko shot off, listing a myriad of her girlfriend's finer points, "but don't get any ideas, she's my girlfriend, got it!?"

"Of course," Andrew laughed heartily at the accusation, "you can keep her. I haven't the slightest interest."

"Oh? I'm glad to hear the feeling's mutual."

Andrew stiffened abruptly, slowly glancing behind him, smiling nervously at the sight of Diana.

"G-Good evening Miss Cavendish, lovely party you're throwing."

"Spare me. Thank you though, for keeping Akko company while I was otherwise indisposed. If I may, however?"

"Of course," Andrew nodded to Diana, then Akko, excusing himself from their company.

"Akko?" Diana blinked, noticing now that her girlfriend was staring at her a bit blankly.

Akko's attention had been completely stolen the moment she spotted Diana over Andrew's shoulder. She was dressed in a gorgeous blue dress, similar to one she'd seen her wear before. This one was longer though, and cut a bit tighter, with streaks of sparkling white fabric giving it an icy appearance befitting the season. It was strapless, but her shoulders were covered by a fluffy white shawl that ran part way over her arms. Somehow, on top of the beautiful dress, her hair managed to look more luxurious than usual despite nothing seeming out of the ordinary with the style. Likewise her features seemed positively radiant, even though she couldn't pick out any indication of any make-up or the like.

"Akko?" Diana called a bit louder, snapping her out of her ogling.

"S-Sorry... where were you? I've been looking for you all night!"

"Apologies, I was seeing to some final preparations." Akko pouted angrily at the thought of Diana doing more work for the party rather than spending it with her, "don't make that face. Come on, I've something to show you."

She took Akko's hand, leading her away from the party and up into the upper levels of the manor. She felt a bit bewildered, led through the halls of the mansion, shuddering when they exited out onto an exposed bridge high in the castle-like building. The chill of the winter evening abruptly vanished when they crossed through a tower, remaining absent even when they exited out onto a balcony that seemed every bit as exposed to the elements.

Looking around, curious at the absence of the cold, Akko's eyes eventually settled on a lone dinner table out on the balcony, close enough to the edge to look out over the lake clearly. It was rather small, downright tiny compared to the vast size of the balcony. There was a five-pointed candelabra in the middle of the table, flames not so much as flickering despite the open air, and indeed Akko couldn't feel the wind at all compared to even just when they'd been out on the bridge.

"Did you cast a barrier or something around this place?" Akko asked as Diana led her to the table.

"Very astute," she confirmed, smiling as she pulled out one of the two chairs at the table for Akko to sit down.

"That's incredible!" She praised her, earning a warmer smile from a blushing Diana as she moved to sit at the opposite place setting.

"Thank you... it was quite strenuous, but I could think of no better location for this."

"Yeah, about that... what is 'this' exactly?" Akko asked, looking over the candle-lit dinner table between them, then out to the half-frozen lake view off to one side.

"You told me that where you're from Christmas is largely regarded as a 'couple's thing', yes?"

Akko nodded.

"Thus why you wanted to come spend Christmas with me, despite your previous experience with my family."

Another nod.

"I had Anna look into it for me, and she found that it's common practice to have upscale dates on Christmas Eve?"

She nodded again.

"So, I thought that rather than having dinner mingling with an over-crowded party, you might prefer this," Diana gestured around them, blushing softly as she spoke, "a candle-lit dinner, for just the two of us."

Akko mirrored her blush, smiling brightly as she looked over the table, then out to the gorgeous view of the lake and shrine out on the water.

"Thanks Diana," she turned to gaze back at her lovingly, "I'd honestly really been hoping for something like this. I just wanted to spend our first Christmas together, but this is... this is incredible!"

"I'm glad you approve. Merry Christmas, Akko."

Hearing a clattering sound off to one side, they looked back to the tower to see another figure emerging from the bridge. Akko eventually made out that it was Anna, wheeling a cart bearing two covered silver platters over to them. Placing a tray each in front of them, she removed the coverings to reveal two perfectly prepared Christmas Dinners. A perfectly roasted cut of turkey, together with stuffing and fluffy mashed potatoes. She further loaded the table with trays of vegetables, sauces, gravy, fresh dinner buns, and a tiered platter of desserts.

Anna bowed to the two, leaving the cart as she excused herself. Akko's mouth watered, eyes sparkling as she looked over the delicious-looking spread. It all looked so perfect, she almost couldn't bring herself to touch the immaculately prepared meal.

"...you can help yourself whenever you like," Diana said.

And that's all she needed. Akko helped herself to a few dinner buns immediately, grabbing a sizeable bowl of salad and veggies, covering most of her turkey and potatoes in gravy and cranberry sauce. Despite her eagerness, she once more tried to restrain herself and show a bit of propriety as she ate. Despite having an easier time cutting into the turkey compared to her steaks, she still failed after the first delectable bite passed through her lips.

"This is so go~od!" She declared, digging in ravenously.

Diana could only smile, laughing softly to herself as she more calmly prepared and began to eat her meal.

"Careful not to choke," she cautioned, reaching out to grab a glass jug of water, filling them each a glass.

There was also a selection of fruit juices left on the dinner cart, which Akko sampled throughout the meal. She did eventually slow down as she ate, allowing her to chat pleasantly with Diana over dinner. As the meal wound down and they nibbled at the desserts, Diana again reached over to the cart, picking up two packages from the lowest level. Akko immediately recognized one as her gift to Diana, the other which Diana offered out to her being unknown to her.

"Merry Christmas Akko," Diana said, smiling gently as she presented her gift.

"Merry Christmas, Diana," Akko replied, returning the smile as she took the package, "so... can I open it?!"

"Go right ahead."

"Oh oh, you first actually!" Akko stated, gesturing to the box that Diana still held.

Giggling happily, Akko watched Diana carefully tear off the paper, uncovering a simple jewellery box. As she slowly pulled it open carefully, she tensed at the gasp her girlfriend let out when she saw what it contained. Gingerly, she lifted up a silver necklace with an undoubtedly custom-made pendant on the end. Diana admired the detail of it; a vague heart-shape cast in gold, the bottom half inlaid with a few small gems having the exaggerated shape of a bow, the top half looking more like wings with a glimmering, ruby-red bar passing through the middle ending at an arrowhead-shape crossing over the bow to make the heart's tip. The Shooting Star laid over the Shiny Arc; to either side of the ruby shaft were the words "Believing" and "Hearts" inlaid in silver.

Akko shifted nervously in her seat as she watched Diana stare at the necklace in awe, "do you... do you like it?"

Diana was snapped out of her daze by her voice, looking back across the table at her girlfriend, "did you make this?" She asked, getting a small nod in response.

Gently setting the necklace back in its box, and the box back on the table, Diana stood up. Walking around to Akko, she slipped her arms around her, hugging her tight.

"It's beautiful. I love it," She whispered happily, squeezing her tight, "how'd you make it? I didn't know you were a goldsmith."

Akko laughed softly, smiling up at Diana as she pulled herself back, "yeah, I'm definitely not. I got a little help from Constanze, but mostly I used magic to make it."

"I have a passing familiarity with metallurgic magics. Though it may be easier than by hand, it still requires a great deal of concentration and focus," she commented, picking up the box to admire the necklace, "and this is marvellous."

"Hehe, thanks! I'm so glad you like it. It took me... a lot of tries to get it just right."

"You did a fantastic job, Akko. I love it," she told her again, earning a happy giggle, "so, are you going to open your gift now?"

Akko nodded her head, rapidly tearing the paper off Diana's gift to her. Under the paper was a clothing box, and inside she found a fluffy white article of clothing with a yellow four-pointed star against a blue background, ringed by red. She recognized it immediately as Shiny Chariot's star. Pulling it out excitedly, Akko found that it was a wonderfully plush feeling hoodie.

"Oh wow, I didn't even know they made something like this!" She said, holding it up to admire, amazed that there was a piece of Shiny Chariot merchandise out there that she hadn't even known about, let alone owned!

"They didn't."

"Eh?" Akko lowered her arms, looking at Diana confused.

"There is no such piece of Shiny Chariot merchandise. It's one of a kind," she told her, Akko's eyes widening at the admission, "like you, I thought something hand-made might be a nice gesture."

"You can sew?!"

"I... did have some help," Diana admitted, "Anna taught me the finer points, and like you I mostly used magic to smooth out the process." She explained, "and Chariot herself helped me get the pattern just right."

"So you... you got me a one-of-a-kind Shiny Chariot hoodie... made with help from Chariot herself?!"

"That is correct."

Diana winced at the loud squeal of delight that followed, Akko throwing her arms around her in a crushingly tight hug a split second after.

"Thank you thank you thank you!" She cried over and over in her ear happily as she hugged her.

"Ah, a-and there- there was one other thing," Diana grunted out, getting Akko to release her hold.

Looking a bit confused, Akko glanced back at the clothing box when Diana gestured to it, noticing a little black cube nestled in the middle; previously hidden by the sweater.

"What's this?" Akko asked, picking it up, looking it over in her hand, "looks kinda like one of Professor Croix's pixel-thingies."

"That is also correct," Diana told her, earning a startled look at the confirmation. "I... suppose it could be viewed as a kind of contraband, being made by a convicted felon and all. But Chariot remains in contact with her and was able to get her to help me with this little... project. It was inspected by the proper authorities who did approve its release to me, so rest assured."

"I uh... I wasn't really thinking about all that," Akko told her with a weak laugh, "but I guess it's good to know it won't turn into a dragon and try to eat me?"

"Indeed. Though I did get Croix's help creating this... device, it was again mostly Chariot who helped me with what it actually is."

"And... what is it?" Akko asked, still turning the little black cube over in her hand.

"If I understood the instructions Croix provided correctly, there should be a small depression on one side that you can press in."

Nodding, Akko ran her fingers along all six sides, until one finally sank inward under her finger. She gasped, leaping back when the cube lit up; lines all along its surface glimmering with a rainbow of colours. Despite nearly dropping it, the cube remained floating in the air, both Akko and Diana watching it hover there. After a moment, they saw it shoot out off the balcony, flying over the lake.

"Is it supposed to do that?"

"Just watch," Diana told her, taking Akko's hand as they stood and looked out.

The small rainbow flicker of the pixel became harder to see out on the lake as it flew away. Just when Akko lost sight of its light completely, and was about to ask if that was intentional again, she gasped at an eruption of light over the lake. Magic burst out to fill the air, an aurora cascading across the sky, rainbow lights shimmering above them. Akko looked on in awe as the rainbow colours passed over the stars glittering in the sky, lines appearing drawn between them, the constellations themselves brought to life to dance across the Borealis.

It clicked then that a part of her recognized the choreography of the magical show playing out above her. It was just like a Shiny Chariot show that had inspired her so long ago. But now, this show, this was just for her. Her own private magic show.

She turned slowly, finding Diana watching her with a serene smile on her face.

"Merry Christmas, Akko," she said once more.

Akko just smiled in return, leaning in to kiss her as the light of this magical evening glimmered over them.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Again this was written as a gift for Eliln on tumblr/Twitter. They're an awesome artist and if you're not following them already, you really should be!
> 
> So I don't know if it's poor etiquette or anything for a Secret Santa, but I sort of made this as a sequel to my previous Diakko fic "Warmth". Didn't really tie it back in any big way, but I did use it as the basis for how Diana and Akko got together, thus using it as a frame of reference for the time, as well as the allusion Diana made to having shared a bed before.
> 
> Also since I wrote this like, right up to the last minute for Christmas Eve, I haven't proof-read it as thoroughly as I otherwise might of. Sorry, but hopefully it's still passable! I hope any readers enjoyed it, and a very Merry Christmas again!  
> p.s. (I kinda alluded to it, but also want to do a "New Years at the Kagaris'" sequel. No way I'd have it done in just a week though. Maybe next year?)


End file.
